Tinderboxes everywhere

Pheroze all well with you Have your Hindoostani roots not helped you bear the summer this time that you need a tanker on call 24x7 enquired Lady Flora She was referring to the humongous water tanker that was parked near her friend Sir PMs pedestal outside the BMC officeLooking a bit tense Sir PM replied Oh you noticed Lady Well you see I was taking precautions You never know She was unable to make sense of this sudden action taken by her walking companion Come to the point Pheroze you are making me anxious she said in a tone that sounded polite but firmAfter taking a deep breath he replied I am worried I didnt sleep that night after reading about the fire in Notre Dame Cathedral It felt like a part of me had been burnt down I have such splendid memories of a trip with the missus We spent an entire day marvelling at its wonders We attended service and then lost ourselves inside its stunning French Gothic interiors It was all very romantic he shared Lovely reminisces Pheroze But you havent answered my question mdash why the water tankerAh I apologise for that my lady I was digressing My point is mdash Id rather be safe than sorry What if my former workplace right behind me were to catch fire First the CSMT bridge collapse and now this Paris fire I dont feel very secure and so I used my good offices with a former BMC official mdash a favour returned actually mdash and decided to take a few basic precautions At least this will ensure there is some immediate action as soon as a fire breaks out Going by the lack of swift action that I witnessed during the tragic accident right around the corner this I feel is a good way to stay one step ahead he explained All this while Lady Flora was soaking in his words with unbelievable attention she was all ears and could feel his tense statePheroze I think youve hit the nail on its head All our landmarks especially the older ones built in the 19th and early 20th centuries woefully lack any protection from fires and other calamities I might be surrounded by water but even that doesnt guarantee a safe haven for me Look at the larger structures around us she exclaimed as they negotiated their way through their old familiar route via Dr DN Road Sir PM was reminded of how he had to hastily call off plans to host a bash on World Heritage Day The noise is unbearable at night Viegas It would have affected your hearing even more he told his doctor friend while sending out regret notes to his group of acquaintances from the neighbourhoodBoth friends did a quick assessment of the sites and felt that several of them were sitting tinderboxes that wouldnt stand a chance if a fire were to take place within its interiors due to negligence or a short circuit the latter being cited as the reason for the Notre Dame Cathedral tragedy Imagine even the efficient French with their stateoftheart facilities couldnt save the spire My heart was gutted as I watched it collapse I manage to catch a few frames from a screen window at one of those new department stores that has just opened down the road she recalled Sir PM added But Lady our slow systems and babus dont even see these imminent scenarios Erhelliphave I said too muchYou havent Pheroze We dont score very high on response time if you recall all the tragedies that our dear city has been subject to ndash natural and manmade So what chance does a heritage building made from stone and wood have amidst all of this she sighed And look at how quickly they were able to douse the fire with no casualties among fire fighters We must applaud the French she announcedAs they passed by the familiar junction where Flora Fountain stands Sir PM went into history mode I recall witnessing this great fire that had taken over the Fort area back in 1944 Bombay had never seen anything like that It was down at the docks on a ship called Fort Stikine That was the worst I am told May we never have to witness such destruction he lowered his voice as the two spent a few silent moments near Lion Gate that opens up to the citys dockyard before heading back to their respective pedestalsmiddays Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the citys sights sounds smells and stoneswherever the ink and the inclination takes her She tweets bombayanaSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates